Soprano Rachelle Durkin spent two decades working in New York. Now she’s living back home and Australian audiences are getting the benefit of all that experience.
By Ara Jansen
Life has come full circle for opera singer Rachelle Durkin. After starting her career in Perth, she spent almost two decades in New York and is now well settled back in Western Australia.
The soprano has been living in Busselton for the past few years with her husband and young son.
Rachelle started her career in Perth at WAAPA. After winning the prestigious National Council Auditions in Manhattan, she earned a place in the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera, better known as The Met, where she worked her way up to leading roles.
“New York was amazing,” says Rachelle. “I was young when I arrived there and worked consistently at The Met. I grew up quickly and was witness to four presidencies, 9/11, Hurricane Sandy, the Black Lives Matter movement and COVID.”
Then it was time to bring her family home, put her son into school and reconnect with the sand and surf. She’s also become artist patron of Albany-based arts organisation Breaksea.
In late October, Rachelle is starring in La Bohéme at His Majesty’s Theatre for WA Opera. She also joins other WAO stars for Opera in Kalgoorlie in November and Opera in Margaret River in December.
“I’m enjoying living near the beach and it’s nice to have family around, for the first time in a while. I’ve been doing a lot of hiking and walking. I just love being outside and I get antsy being indoors for too long now. I love to travel for work and also recently went to Albany, Denmark and Walpole. I’ve not been there since I was a kid. I’ve loved getting to know WA again.”
In La Bohéme, Rachelle plays Musetta, whose most famous aria is Musetta’s Waltz, which she sings in Café Momus to her bohemian friends, hoping to reclaim the attention of her occasional boyfriend Marcello.
“This version has a contemporary edge and is set loosely in the 1920s, so we’re going to play with that. It’s going to be a nice challenge to find the calmness in her and look at her in a different light, instead of just playing her as over the top and for quick laughs.”
Rachelle is looking forward to working with Matt Ward, who is co-directing the opera to explore this different portrayal of Musetta. Having performed the part numerous times, she knows the libretto off by heart so her concentration this time will be on aspects such as how she shapes the character.
For more information on La Bohéme at www.waopera.asn.au/shows/events/la-boheme